Dinotte light question

[saab2000]

I am the satisfied owner of a Dinotte 400R tail light. It is extremely bright, as we all know.

The issue is night riding. Even at its lowest setting on steady, it's really too much light for night riding, especially with other riders. I was on a ride a couple weeks ago which ended in the dark and my riding partner said that my rear light was too bright. I actually believe him and he's not just whining.

Do you Dinotte fans know if the current tail light offering can be dimmed enough to be useful at night? They claim it's as bright as the 400R, which is superb in the day and too bright at night.

http://dinottelighting.com/store-files/images/Quad-Red-Bike-Taillight-Light-Built-in-Battery-DiNotte-Lighting-02.jpg

[54ny77]

have you tilted it down a tad? if it's parallel to the road, those led's are strong. not pleasant to ride behind as a cyclist. i have my quad pointed down at road i'd guess maybe 5-10 degrees or so.

but, that's the point....it's bright! last year or so when heading out to a pre-dawn group ride, buddy of mine drove by and said i was lit up like a christmas tree, could see me hundreds of yards away. warmed my heart hearing that!

[saab2000]

have you tilted it down a tad? if it's parallel to the road, those led's are strong. not pleasant to ride behind as a cyclist.

but, that's the point....it's bright! in a pre-dawn ride, i was heading off to the group meeting spot. buddy of mine drove by and said i was lit up like a christmas tree, could see me hundreds of yards away. warmed my heart hearing that!

I have not tilted it down. It is pointed straight back, which gives it great range to be seen. It's meant to be seen by cars a mile away and in that mission, it's wildly successful. But I can't dim it enough to be appropriate on a group ride in dark conditions.

I'm curious if the Quad Red is more dimmable.

Tonight's ride will probably employ my Lupine Rotlicht, which is more dimmable and less bright to begin with.

Steady, as opposed to flashing, lights are the way to go at night. That's another thread, but I'm amazed by the number of riders who use their front and rear lights on the strobe setting even at night. Does this not disturb them?

[ptourkin]

I've used my Quad Red on steady low on many overnight brevets while riding in a group without complaint. Perhaps, as suggested, it's the angle.

Rando etiquette has always been no flashing in a group but I see this rule disappearing or being ignored more and more often.

[cp43]

I have not tilted it down. It is pointed straight back, which gives it great range to be seen. It's meant to be seen by cars a mile away and in that mission, it's wildly successful. But I can't dim it enough to be appropriate on a group ride in dark conditions.

I'm curious if the Quad Red is more dimmable.

Tonight's ride will probably employ my Lupine Rotlicht, which is more dimmable and less bright to begin with.

Steady, as opposed to flashing, lights are the way to go at night. That's another thread, but I'm amazed by the number of riders who use their front and rear lights on the strobe setting even at night. Does this not disturb them?

I have a quad red at home. It has the normal three settings of brightness that all my Dinotte lights have, but I'm not sure how dim it really goes. I can go through the settings tonight and see how bright it seems while walking around my yard. It's not exactly what you're looking for, I know, but it's the best I can do.


Chris

[pjm]

Your friend will get over it. There’s no such thing as too bright. You have to get the attention of the texting idiots. I just ordered the amber version of that light for the front.

[11.4]

Same observations here. There's no point in getting a strong light and then pointing it downwards -- it's a pure waste of lumens and money. If I'm riding with others, I'll set it on continuous rather than flashing, which makes it a bit less obnoxious.

Also, one other thing you can do is to mount the light low on a seat stay. A rider on your wheel is looking pretty much straight on into your seat lug but won't be focused on your stay end (or shouldn't be, anyway). It can be pointed straight back and have most of the same effectiveness as being higher up, without the pain for people riding with you. As for drivers, the day they stop hitting riders is the day I'll tone the tail lite down a bit.

[stien]

Also, one other thing you can do is to mount the light low on a seat stay.

Great idea. I have this issue riding at night/dawn with my wife, even on steady it gets too bright when mounted on the seatpost.

[54ny77]

install directions say to point down just ever so slightly, since the beam pattern lights up a huge chunk of road in red light when in that position. it does nothing to hide the intensity of led flashing at drivers, remember there's 4 lights on there and they are all intense.

you really don't need it to be parallel, just a few degrees down. tinker with the settings (or not). if you do, point it down just ever so slightly, see how much road is lit up and then walk a quarter mile away or more from bike leaned up against tree in the dark. you'll see what i mean.

the quad is the best investment i ever made for my bike. hands down.

here's a pic of how i have the angle set.

if i'm in a pre-dawn group ride with pals, i always stay at the back as the caboose because of the brightness factor. occasionally there'll be someone new who comments about bright light, and i just say maybe if you were stronger you'd go around me and ride up front. that tends to shut 'em up. :D

[Nooch]

I used to ride with a commuter group in the mornings -- imagine 10-15 guys with 300 and 400R taillights.

We would all use the steady/pulse mode and no one ever seemed to have an issue.

I do have a question (an ever so slight derailment) -- My 300R is going on maybe 5, 6 years old, give or take. I want to say it was the first year it was released. At any rate, I've been getting my saddle time in the morning, and am wondering if it's possible for the LED's to be losing output after the years? (this could all just be in my imagination -- I just don't know that I feel it's as bright as it used to be, and wonder if it's as bright as say the FlareR at the moment..)

[gdw]

probably more than you ever wanted to know....
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?132057-Do-LED-bubls-weaken-lose-brightness-over-time

[saab2000]

Your friend will get over it. There’s no such thing as too bright. You have to get the attention of the texting idiots. I just ordered the amber version of that light for the front.

There is such a thing as too bright. If there weren't, there wouldn't be brightness settings.

In the daytime I use it on full bright and have received comments from drivers as to how visible the light is.

The ride in question is a gravel ride on unpaved, forest-lined rural roads. It's a fantastic ride that at this time of year finishes in the dark. Having a 400R even at a dim setting is too much light and not useful for being seen. This route is so dark that even the pathetic $15 lights the majority of riders use are plainly visible from hundreds of yards away. Over the course of this 2-hour ride we will likely encounter a dozen cars, at most.

Mounting it lower may be an option though I don't have the installation bracket for the chainstays. Additionally, the external battery cable isn't really very long.

For daytime riding the 400R is an amazing light. For night riding I wish it had an even dimmer low setting.

[54ny77]

Somewhere in the basement I've got a box of xtra brackets from Dinotte when I bought the kit, I'll look in there and see if there's a chainstay mount. It's yours, gratis, if I can find the darned things. :)



Mounting it lower may be an option though I don't have the installation bracket for the chainstays.

[saab2000]

Somewhere in the basement I've got a box of xtra brackets from Dinotte when I bought the kit, I'll look in there and see if there's a chainstay mount. It's yours, gratis, if I can find the darned things. :)

I appreciate that. Meanwhile, eventually I'll get a Quad Red. The external battery on the 400R can be tedious. I've got a solution whereby it's in a saddle bag and I cut a small hole for the cable, but it's still not as clean as one without cables altogether.

[woodworker]

I've used my Quad Red on steady low on many overnight brevets while riding in a group without complaint. Perhaps, as suggested, it's the angle.

Rando etiquette has always been no flashing in a group but I see this rule disappearing or being ignored more and more often.

I have one too. Mine is pointed slightly downwards. It is still easily visible to cars at a distance but doesn't bother the guy or gal sitting on my wheel--as I've never had any complaints about it, including in flashing mode.

[54ny77]

I'm an idiot I thought the 400R was the quad and that's the light you were talking about. Sorry. Didn't realize it was different model.

That said, do they use the same mounting brackets? If so I'll look for the box of light stuff, buried deep in the bowels of the basement....

The quad has 3 steady modes (high, medium, low) and 3 flasher modes (which i'll call simple blinker, more blinking, really obnoxious). I either use the medium steady or obnoxious flasher during the dark (pre-dawn), depending on my riding locale/setting: if more urban, it's on the steady mode. If remote (near where I live, very lightly traveled roads), it's on flasher.

I always use the obnoxious flasher setting during the day, and unless I forget to grab it (during travel) or the battery is kaput, I always ride with it during daytime. I'm a bike light daytime user convert.

I appreciate that. Meanwhile, eventually I'll get a Quad Red. The external battery on the 400R can be tedious. I've got a solution whereby it's in a saddle bag and I cut a small hole for the cable, but it's still not as clean as one without cables altogether.

[pjm]

I'd just get a second cheapo light for that ride, then.

[saab2000]

I'd just get a second cheapo light for that ride, then.

I’m using my cheapo Lupine Rotlicht this evening. And a Light & Motion on the stay. Hopefully nobody is blinded! :D

[znfdl]

I am the satisfied owner of a Dinotte 400R tail light. It is extremely bright, as we all know.

The issue is night riding. Even at its lowest setting on steady, it's really too much light for night riding, especially with other riders. I was on a ride a couple weeks ago which ended in the dark and my riding partner said that my rear light was too bright. I actually believe him and he's not just whining.

Do you Dinotte fans know if the current tail light offering can be dimmed enough to be useful at night? They claim it's as bright as the 400R, which is superb in the day and too bright at night.

http://dinottelighting.com/store-files/images/Quad-Red-Bike-Taillight-Light-Built-in-Battery-DiNotte-Lighting-02.jpg

Saab, this is why I have two light mounts on my bikes. One for the Dinotte and the second for when I ride with people.

[saab2000]

Saab, this is why I have two light mounts on my bikes. One for the Dinotte and the second for when I ride with people.

Not a bad idea!

[cp43]

I have a quad red at home. It has the normal three settings of brightness that all my Dinotte lights have, but I'm not sure how dim it really goes. I can go through the settings tonight and see how bright it seems while walking around my yard. It's not exactly what you're looking for, I know, but it's the best I can do.


Chris

FWIW, I brought my quad red light out for the night time dog walk last night, and spent some time staring at it on the different brightnesses. Even on the lowest steady setting, I think it's bright enough that it would be annoying to someone drafting off of you.

Chris

[Birddog]

I think mine is angled down almost 30* and it is tolerable to others at that angle while still being very noticeable.

[Spinner]

After one of my riding friends complained about the brightness of my Quad, I crafted a piece of thin wood to a 6" by 1.25" size that is affixed
to the top side of the light with several rubber bands. This shield blocks light from the Quad for about 2.5 bike lengths for a drafting rider.